Shepherdstown Community Update

This month, our Super Paw focus was Communicating with Respect. Congratulations to our September Super Paw recipients below!

***If your students' picture is missing from the collage, please complete the photo release portion of your students Sapphire profile for future use of his/her photo.

We thought it would be great for the Shep Community to get to know our staff better. Each week, we’ll spotlight a different team member in this section of the newsletter, asking some light-hearted questions to uncover interesting facts about them.

This week, we are learning more about Mrs. Taccard. Not only is Mrs. Taccard our Learning & Emotional Support teacher, but she is also the primary handler for Kosmo, our school facility dog!

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Erie, PA and went to school at Fairview Elementary School. For college, I went to St. Bonaventure University in Western New York. I clearly liked the weather up there!

2. What was your favorite subject in school?

My favorite subject in grade school was Reading/ELA. I loved doing book studies and opening myself up to learning from difference genres of books.

3. Why did you want to become a teacher?

Growing up, I taught swim lessons and always babysat the kids in my neighborhood. I frequently thought about being a teacher because I truly loved helping others and working with kids. When I entered college, I had chosen a major completely difference from teaching, but after the first semester, I made the switch to education and never looked back. I feel blessed to do what I do every day! My mom always said that if you love what you do then you will never work a day in your life!

4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate peanut butter with buckeyes from Brusters!

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I don't think I have a hidden talent other than the fact that I cannot burp! Haha!

Monday, September 30 - Cycle Day 6

• Pre-K Soccer Shots

Tuesday, October 1 - Cycle Day 1

• New Super Paws begin - This month's focus is Act Responsibly

Wednesday, October 2 - Cycle Day 2

• National Custodian Day - Thank you to our custodians for keeping Shep looking top notch!
• 1st Grade Field Trip to the Mechanicsburg Environmental Center

Thursday, October 3 - Cycle Day 3

Friday, October 4 - Cycle Day 4

• Miss Cerio's Class Field Trip to Cherry Crest

October

Tuesday, October 8 - School Safety Drill at 8:20 AM

Wednesday, October 9 - PTO Virtual Meeting at 7 PM

Thursday, October 10 - Shep Fall Fest from 6-7 PM

Friday, October 11 - Act 80 Day - No School

Monday, October 14 - Columbus Day - No School

Thursday, October 17 - Lifetouch Picture Day

Wednesday, October 30 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 3:00-7:00 PM

November

Friday, November 1 - No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences 7:30-3:00 PM

Friday, November 8 - Veterans Day Community Meeting at 1:30

Monday, November 11 - No School - Professional Development Day

Wednesday, November 27 - Monday, December 2 - No School - Thanksgiving Recess

December

Friday, December 6 - Elementary Report Cards mailed home and posted to Sapphire Parent Portal (Trimester 1)

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3 - No School - Winter Recess

During the week of October 28th, students may engage in activities related to the fall season. These activities are not affiliated with Halloween and we ask that students do not wear any costume to school. For those families that do celebrate Halloween, below is a list of community opportunities for students to wear their costume and participate.

Halloween Celebrations

· Mechanicsburg Borough Halloween Parade: October 8

· Mechanicsburg Streets of Treats: October 19 10AM - 2PM

Trick -or-Treat

· Mechanicsburg Borough: October 31 from 6-8:00 PM (no rain date)

· Upper Allen: October 31 from 6:00-8:00 PM (rain date: Saturday, November 2nd from 4-6 p.m.)

Our Shepherdstown Picture Day is on Thursday, October 17! You can order pictures directly from Lifetouch using the link below. Our event ID is EVT4VK3ZS.

School Security Drill

On Tuesday, October 8 at 8:20 AM, Shepherdstown will have a school security drill. This will be an internal lockdown of the building, where we will practice staying quiet with the lights off and doors locked and secured.

The Upper Allen Police Department has been notified and is invited to join us for this drill. Students may see law enforcement or district security in the building as part of this drill.

School Safety

The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. This week I thought I would provide a brief overview of some of our practices to maintain a safe and secure school campus.

• We maintain a close relationship with the Upper Allen Police Department. Officers maintain a presence on our campus and they frequently walk the halls getting to know our students and staff. Protocols are in place for the school to quickly contact authorities if needed.
• We maintain a secure campus with one primary point of entry. Staff are trained to report suspicious activity on our campus. All visitors enter through a secured entrance.
• We conduct a variety of drills to prepare students and staff for emergency situations. Code Blue Drills are conducted by the Nurse and staff trained in CPR to assist with medical emergencies. Evacuation and relocation drills are held to train students and staff to quickly and quietly evacuate the building. Drills are also conducted to teach students and staff how to respond if someone unsafe is on school property. Severe weather drills are conducted to practice responding to severe weather like tornados.

Parents also play an important role in helping us to maintain a safe school campus.

The following bulleted statements are meant to guide us:

• It is important to avoid blindly sharing rumors and posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if the threats are not credible, they can still cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about appropriate online behaviors.
• We all play a vital role in school safety. We ask that our families, staff, and students continue to remain vigilant and report any concerning behavior or messaging. The best method to report an issue is to notify your child’s teacher or administrator. If the concern occurs after hours and is of an emergent nature or you wish to remain anonymous, then you can report a concern through the Safe2Say program (through the Safe2Say app, www.safe2saypa.org or by calling 1-844-723-2729).
• Remain confident that we will reach out to you should there ever be a cause for concern. Be sure to keep your information updated within the Sapphire Parent Portal to ensure you get school and district messages.

We still have many families who have not filled out the Student Emergency Form for the 24/25 school year. It is imperative that this form is updated so that we have your correct contact information and so that our nursing staff has all updated information about your student in case of emergency. Please take a few minutes, follow the instructions below and update this important information. We appreciate your prompt response in this matter.

Instructions for updating the necessary forms:

1. Log in to Sapphire
2. Go to My Backpack
3. Click on Student Data Forms, then Student Emergency Information Form
4. Complete STUDENT EMERGENCY Form (one form for each student in the district)

Birthdays are important to every child, and most kids like to celebrate with their classmates. However, sending in a food treat to the classroom to celebrate can exclude those children who have food allergies or other dietary restrictions. Also, classrooms are not well-equipped to serve food, especially cupcakes and other messy treats. If you would like an alternative to food treats for your child’s birthday celebration at school, there are many possibilities. Always check with your child’s teacher first to see what options may work best.

Invitations to birthday parties or other gatherings may not be passed out in school, unless the entire class is invited. Teachers cannot distribute contact information.

If you haven't already done so, you're invited to like and follow our official Mechanicsburg Area School District Facebook page for the latest celebrations, news, and updates from across the district: www.facebook.com/MASDwildcats.

Mark your calendars! Below are the Shepherdstown PTO meetings for the 2024-2025 school year.

Wednesday, October 9 at 7 PM (Zoom)

Wednesday, January 8 at 7 PM (Zoom)

Wednesday, March 12 at 7 PM (Zoom)

Wednesday, April 9 at 7 PM (Zoom)

Wednesday, May 14 at 7 PM (At Shep/Zoom)

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer at Shepherdstown? Please see the information on our website below about becoming a volunteer.

Mechanicsburg Area School District is privileged to offer a weekend food distribution program for families in need. The purpose of the program is to provide non-perishable, vitamin-fortified, and easy to prepare foods to children at times when school resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Bags will include two breakfasts, two meals, and two snacks. The program is free of charge, and it will begin on Friday, September 27th. Please use the link below to sign up.

Link to sign up

If you have additional questions, please e-mail our School Counselor Mrs. Melissa Lawler at MLawler@mbgsd.org.

Email: shepoffice@mbgsd.org
Website: https://shepherdstown.mbgsd.org/
Location: 1849 South York Street, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA
Phone: 717-691-4589